95.The Navigator

Padrão dos Descobrimentos - Lisbon - Portugal

Roman vacating the photo

It really is this stunning.
It glowed in the setting sun

Finally made the move back to local superettes as the large soulless horrors were getting me down. They are fantastic but once in you could be in any mall in the world or even Riccarton Mall in Christchurch. The local here is well stocked except for gluten free and a quick ride by bike. Bike this morning was definitely light on the front wheel with eight litres of milk in the carrier

Henry the Navigator leads
32 other explorers

plus six litres of water hanging by cable tie, off the back.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries) is a Lisbon must see and certainly was for Jacqueline so armed with filled rolls we visited. It is absolutely beautiful with lovely parks nearby.

While we took in the surroundings, Roman took in a young man with a drone and ended up flying it for about ten minutes, mostly over the water.  Fyfe gravely informed us that the drone cost over one thousand euros and that we would have to pay for it if Roman crashed it.

We then walked the local area, suckedin by one shop, very taken with the Jerónimos Monastery  which is now a Nautical Museum. Hoping to visit tomorrow.

Jerónimos Monastery  

A recently deceased Christ

At the end of the monastery is a wonderful church that is more like a cathedral, the Church Santa Maria de Belém, for some reason, had a lovely feeling to it. Not at all like most which, for me, give a sense of foreboding.

Like all travel, the day finished with a thick shake and toilet at MacDonalds.

94. Silver bulbs

COSTA DA CAPARICA - LISBON - PORTUGAL

If you click on the photo you can see I have outlined the
cracking that had been repaired by a variety of methods in blue.
The other side was worse, never thought it would depart though.

Another day on the tail-lights. Assumption that remaining lights were working at the time of departure was a trap.  Wiring mystery slightly demystified the I discovered a junction box in the back of the side gear locker, under our bed.  I could just squeeze in but the wires were so tight I couldn't really work out what was happening.  Four front and eight sidelights are fed from this junction box. For power tests using the caravans battery I thought I would solder wires onto a spare glass fuse.  I knew that I have been spoilt working for an automotive auto-electronics company for the last twenty five years but until now not realised how much.  I have never experienced solder being repelled from, well everything.  My temperature uncontrolled soldering iron fluctuated by about five hundred degrees, the solder didn't want to flow and the flux .... flux! I am used to flash Japanese resin cored solder, haven't used separate flux since my farming days. After a long battle and a brutally ugly soldering job I fed power into the seven pin front connector and in a trice, like a complete dill created a short circuit at the macrame at the rear and popped the fuse.

I think my tears of frustration
created this photo effect.

 Actually I was impressed that I had persevered and installed a temporary fuse in the first place.

Silver bulbs

There is quite a bit of mystery wiring and the centre high level stop light almost bettered me as I assumed; it was an LED fitting; it was working prior to the bumpers departure.

Finally worked out how to remove it with the aid of a wood chisel and discovered a row of silvered bulbs indicating that, at some point prior to our ownership, somebody had plugged the Giantavan into a twenty four volt Landcruiser or similar.

Remembered that I had a pair of Euro triangle reflectors stashed behind the gas bottle as I ordered them six months ago as they are required in Europe but not realising that they were part of the original factory tail-light. Feeling smug about that.

Temporary lights fitted.

93. Knocked it up over the weekend

COSTA DA CAPARICA - LISBON - PORTUGAL

Brian, shortly before the hose fitting
blew off and got him in the face - chuckle

A three euro tarp as an awning groundsheet was this mornings exciting development .... that and Brian discovering that he could use his portable washing machine on his bike rack giving it enough elevation to drain properly. I must be living in a world of diminished horizons with the result that I assume you will find such things interesting .... travelled body, narrowed mind or something.

Three months ago, back bumper intact

Wire in capping - nice job Philip

Tackled the tail lights today with few tools and a desire to keep what remains of the factory wiring intact for when I purchase a new Hobby bumper and factory tail lights. Left the new lights outside last night and one (see photo) had water inside. It always impresses me how poorly it is possible to design these type of things. I remember a colleague saying that the parts shop he worked for in NZ marked up parts like taillights one thousand percent. That means the shop payed about three euro and fifty cents for these lights.  I wish they had pushed the boat out and bought a four euro assembly as I am sure the extra five euro cost to me would have been worth it in terms of quality.

The wiring used to come out inside the bumper and as I don't want to modify it so that it will reconnect to the factory lights when I purchase them I am cable tying them up to the handle and adding jump wiring. It is going to look ghastly but there is little alternative.  Tomorrow I will do continuity checks between the plug at the front and my wiring at the rear before connecting to the Disco. Will probably use the earth wire of my fifteen metre extension cord as I don't have nine metres of suitable cable otherwise - needs must.

I feel like I am almost finished but as they say ninety percent finished - fifty percent to go.

Cable tied to handle, a nod to Mr Heath Robinson
What a mess Philip

Audrey and Mary coerced Brian and Sheena into taking them back to the mega mall as the outdoor rink opened today. I happily waved them off in the Disco, delighted to be a remainer. Roman however was devastated to be left behind but has never skated.  Hours later they all returned. Turns out the refrigeration machine wasn't man enough to better the thirteen degree day and it became a rink of slush. Brian was delighted as the sight of the extensive queue control ropes had him contemplating his future will to live.

92. Where did the day go?

COSTA DA CAPARICA - LISBON - PORTUGAL 

Mall rats departed by the Disco load leaving Iris, Fyfe and me at camp. Fyfe and I tackled his new bike (new to him) adjusting bearings and brakes etc. Everything was completely out of whack which is probably why the previous owner sold it. Fyfe then went on to clean and polish the bike.  He couldn't be more delighted.

Tree decorated

From camp we can hear the sea which we had yet to visit so we set off by bike and were amazed at what we found.  A beautiful parade with bars, cafes and clubs all in stylish beach inspired buildings for the entire length of the foreshore. It must be absolutely amazing during the long summer here. we biked the length of the town and marvelled.

Mall rats returned late, leaving us ample time to pick away at dinner. Luckily the rats ate out as there was scant here on their return.

Water ingress sorted - all is dry.

Not crowded 

Two tomato face

91. Something old, nothing new

COSTA DA CAPARICA - LISBON - PORTUGAL  

Quite proud of this charger actually

Made a start on replacing the Giantavan's now missing tail lights and discovered to my horror, working back up the line, that the brake light trailer circuit isn't working on the Disco plug - might keep that one to myself! The process of working this out flattened the Disco's battery which, luckily, was discovered by Roman when he wasn't able to electrically adjust the driving seat to his optimal position prior to embarking on an imaginary off-road expedition which normally involves a great deal of loud verbal engine noise, verbal honking and commentary. The Giantavan spewed up a battery charger so all was saved. 

Dairy time

Dairy time!

Roman was delighted to see a gardener arrive on a tractor to rake leaves (no leaf blower, thank goodness) so, while the others pressed on with their diaries he drove the tractor. The children's diary writing involves constant research on this blog by me, in order to answer questions like what did we do on November the twenty second? Ideally they would look it up themselves but I don't want my musings to taint their creative flow so, to date, they have not read this blog so I am, by default, the unreliable reference resource that can't remember exactly what they did, ate or what video they watched. Apparently my blog is "useless".

Out with our old

In with someone else's old

Christmas is rapidly approaching and my normal Christmas project of trying to keep expenditure within an ill-defined, ever expanding limit, has been complicated by a pressing volumetric concern. I am hoping that now I have shared this concern with you it is a problem halved. Seeing Mary on her lovely bike made Audrey ridiculous on her little bike so time to shuffle bikes and drop one off the bottom.  Iris is already on Ashley's (ex Link colleague and all round good bloke) old bike so Fyfe was in line.  Didn't want to dump Audrey's bike and found that Cash Converters are here. Jacqueline was keen to brave Lisbon's shops again so off we went, dropping Jacqueline and Iris en-route. 

Turns out Cash Converters has all sorts of things I didn't know we needed including Christmas roller skates for Audrey and Roman, a new (old) waterproof  Christmas camera for Roman and a heap of DVDs ranging from ten cents each to one euro. Quick sprint as they closed to a money machine when we discovered they don't accept credit cards from non EU countries. Fyfe is absolutely ecstatic about his new Christmas bike and bought a seat at the supermarket - treat em mean to keep em keen!

90. How to avoid getting malled

Costa da Caparica - Lisbon - Portugal

Don't know how I would get the Giantavan in if there were other caravans

Under threat of a mall visit I successfully argued that I needed a day at base camp to do maintenance. Most pressing was the leak that developed during the week of severe rain that we have had till a couple of days ago. After dropping half the family into Lisbon, Roman had decided that we was a MacDonald for the day and Iris ensconced in a book, I tackled the leak. As it appeared under the bathroom cabinet I summited the Giantavan, cleaned and applied mastic to the top seam where the walls joined the roof in that general area, glad that I had fitted a permanent ladder for roof access.

Lisbon Architecture

Lisbon

When the family returned tonight I was appalled to discover water seeping out again onto the floor as it is two days since the last rain. After the children were in bed, riot quelled, I dismantled the bathroom joinery and discovered a leaking fitting.  Following this discovery I rethought my assumptions and realised that about the time it started raining a week or so ago we started connecting to the water mains thanks to the fitting that Brian purchased for us. I did not make this connection (pun intended) until the evidence was before me tonight. Normal operation when not connected to the mains is the lifting of a tap turns on a pump and the water is pressurised which means that when a tap is off there is no pressure in the system, so no leaks. Caravan taps have a micro switch in them to turn on a twelve Volt pump when the mixer handle is lifted.

Yet to tackle the tail light fitting but sister Elizabeth posted the replacement number plate today.

Barnaby with Iris' home made Christmas bags

89. Seven hundred years later

Lisbon

Roman and me on the ferry

Beautiful day to visit Lisbon, just across the Tagus which is the inlet to the bay on which Lisbon is situated.  Online advice was to bus in but the campsite recommended driving to the ferry as it docks right on the edge of old Lisbon. Family keen for a ferry ride, as was I.  The MacDonalds were to follow by taxi but Brian had broken a tooth so elected to get that sorted.

On the way across on the ferry the highly unusual sight presented of a submarine cruising slowly with the crew parading on deck as we swept past.  Arriving at Lisbon two days ago Fyfe had been very excited about all the military ships in harbour and I had thought nothing of it.....

Ferry trip and harbour view

Not a sight often seen

The ferry gave us a surprising close up

Every ship had crew parading.
Baptista de Andrade class Portuguese designed Corvette, the João Roby

Tridente-class submarine

Including Navel Yachts parading

Navel helicopters also

NRP Sagres (1937) Navel Training Ship
An interesting history, commissioned and built by Nazi Germany.

UAM Creoula training ship, originally a cod fishing boat

NRP Escorpião Patrol Boat

Parade

Walking to where we could see there was something happening
 we loved the mosaic pavements

We came upon this.
Turns out today was the official celebration of the
Portuguese Navy turning 700, the oldest Navy in the world.

Passed Fyfe's camera to a medalled and striped and navel officer on a platform.
He took this and the following three for us

Super Lynx helicopter

Spectacular display

TV and media present

Pausing to eat baguettes I made up this morning

Replica of a Portuguese caravel of the 15th century

Historic troops with muskets

Wonderful to be able to stay watching for over two hours

Such is the joy of unplanned, unscheduled travel

If this hadn't been a parade this sight and sound would have had us leaving fast!

Custard Tart

Lisbon is famous for these

Tram

Waiting for the tram

Roman was torn between tram or Tuktuk

There was only one place acceptable for Roman

Roman helped people register their ticket on entry.
The tram had a wheel base similar to an A series Mini
which let it navigate the tight twisting undulating roads and
brakes like a BMW Mini thanks to the 1990's upgrades.

The Lisbon pavements are stunning